The Washington Post reports that the 65 year old female, history professor of Dartmouth College, Annelise Orleck, was arrested among 90 other utterly peaceful protesters last night. She and other faculty had arrived at 9:00 PM last night to provide a protective cordon around the students who were positioned on Dartmouth Green. As she used her phone camera, she was manhandled from behind by several state troopers and forcefully pushed to the ground. She remarked, “I did nothing wrong, nothing illegal, nothing in violation of the policies that the college set out earlier that day,” “It was shocking and scary,” she said. “The zip ties were cutting into my skin and causing incredible pain. I asked them to please loosen them for about an hour. They were hurting me so badly.” www.washingtonpost.com/...The College President was unapologetic about her decision to call state troopers on students and faculty who were singing peace songs. The injured faculty are appalled by the police brutality. See the video here:
This is yet another instance of a failure of university administration to negotiate with students over their demands at a table where differences can be settled in a civil manner. This case and many others like it throughout the nation point to the fallacious arguments of some social commentators who make sweeping generalizations about the nature and motivations of all protesters. Equating all student protesters to terrorist sympathizers because of their clothing choices or desire for an end to the Israeli regime’s mass slaughter of non-combatants in Gaza, or the unsavory actions of a few within the movement, casts an unflattering light upon that commentator’s own biases.
The heavy-handed police response suggests that officials are increasingly irked by the “good trouble” (in John Lewis’ words) in which students and faculty are engaged. I hope that the coercive instruments of the State will stop regarding every protester like a nail that needs to be hammered. There are more effective tools that can be used.